Harrison Ford Describes The ‘Legacy’ Of ‘Indiana Jones’ As ‘Magic’

Actor Harrison Ford is reflecting on his career as Indiana Jones, which has gone on for decades now.

The 80-year-old actor first started playing the role of the whip-slinging archaeologist in 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” before reprising his role in 1984’s “Temple of Doom,” 1989’s “Last Crusade,” and 2008’s “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”

In 2023, Ford gave Indiana Jones his final appearance on the big screen in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," which had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this week.

At the world premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" at the Cannes Film Festival, Harrison Ford said that it was "indescribable" and "extraordinary" to see the highlight reel of his career played before the film as he received a surprise honorary Cannes Palme d'Or for his contributions to cinema.

In addition to showing the cantina scene from 1977's "A New Hope," the highlight reel was also comprised of clips from some of Ford's best movies over the years, including "The Fugitive," "Air Force One," "Blade Runner," "Working Girl," and, of course, the entire "Indiana Jones" franchise.

At a press conference, via The Hollywood Reporter, the "What Lies Beneath" actor said, “The warmth of this place, and the sense of community… the welcome is just unimaginable. And it makes me feel good.” It seems that Ford didn't even mind the jokes about his age, as costar Mads Mikkelsen, best known for his role in "Hannibal," joked, “The first [Indiana Jones] film came out 30 years before I was born.”

When a journalist asked Ford why he was ready to let go of the character now, Ford also poked fun at his age, asking, "Is it not evident?" while gesturing to himself. However, he did admit, "But I love to work and I love this character and I love what it brought into my life." On a more serious note, he added, "I wanted to see the completion of the five. I wanted to round out the story."

Director James Mangold, who previously served as executive producer on Ford's "Call of the Wild," said, “There’s so many expectations upon a film like this and you’ll only achieve some of them, because everyone has their own dear version of Indiana Jones, and there’s no way you’re ever going to please everyone."

“But you also have the other hesitation of such a legendary crew of the greatest of film producing, acting, scoring team," he continued. "I was trying to understand the most honest way that I could make a movie that also felt like mine. You know, I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark when I was 17 years old in an upstate New York mall on opening day and it’s one of the reasons I’m a movie director.”

Fortunately, it seems that Harrison Ford is pleased with the final movie in Indy's legacy, saying that Mangolf "more than filled" the shoes of veteran director Steven Spielberg. Ford added, "For me, he made a beautiful movie."

Ford went on to say that the "Indiana Jones" franchise featured "a little myth and a little magic - and they all belong in the same box." He added, "And when it works, it's f*cking magic."

As The Blast previously reported, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" features a 25-minute de-aging sequence that shows Ford de-aged to his "Raiders of the Lost Ark" era. The new VFX software to de-age the actor was specifically created for this film, but it doesn't look like there are plans to make more adventures with a younger Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.

Producer Kathleen Kennedy, who also serves as the President of Lucasfilm, shot down a question from a reporter when asked if the technology would be used to bring a younger Indiana Jones back on screen for future films.

In a previous interview, the 80-year-old actor told Empire that seeing himself de-aged was “a little spooky,” adding, “This is the first time I’ve seen it where I believe it… I don’t think I even want to know how it works, but it works. It doesn’t make me want to be young, though. I’m glad to have earned my age.”

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” hits theaters in June 2023.